Comb box



May 31, 1938. T. B. HUNT 2,118,975

COMB BOX Filed Nov. 5, 1936 Sheets-Sheet l May 31, 1938. T. B. HUNT 2,118,975 7 COMB BOX Filed Nov. 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 31 1938 PATENT OFFICE COMB BOX Thomas Bethel Hunt, Macon, Ga.

Application November 3, 1936, Serial No. 109,044

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in doffer-comb oscillating mechanisms of carding machines, and it consists of the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

Those portions of the present carding machine with which the invention is most directly concerned, comprise a rotating doffer cylinder from the toothed surface of which an accumulation of cotton lint is stripped in the form of a web by the operation of a comb. This comb oscillates at a set location in the carding machine, and the dofier cylinder rotates past the comb.

Said comb makes approximately eight hundred complete oscillations per minute, and the known means for producing the oscillations happens to be of such a construction that it suffers excessive wear because of the necessarily high rate of operation. As the wear increases it creates a vibration in the comb shaft. This vibration causes an uneven stroke of the comb and, consequently, impairs the eificiency of the comb in stripping the cotton web off of the dofier cylinder. A further efiect of this vibration is an unsteady flapping motion of the drive belt, which will in a short time destroy the belt as well as the oscillating mechanism.

The foregoing wear in the oscillating mechanism makes the looseness between the moving parts evident. This looseness results in excessive rubbing and pounding, and the consequent heat consumes an execssive amountof lubricating oil.

In present carding machines there is no provision for varying the stroke of the comb. A decrease in the speed of its drive shaft, in an endeavor to damp out some of the undesired vibration in the comb shaft and to steady the stroke of the comb, will directly reduce the rate of oscillation of the comb, without necessarily relieving the foregoing defects, with the result that the comb will not operate at a sufficiently rapid rate to properly strip the web from the doffer cylinder. Therefore the objects of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide an oscillating mechanism for a carding machine, by means of which the comb will strip the cotton web off of the doifer cylinder without vibration.

Second, to provide an oscillating mechanism of the type described in which the connection between the driving and comb shafts is constructed both with a view to reducing the frictional contacting area from what it is in current machines, consequently lessening the possibilities of loosening of the parts and the development of heat therein, and reducing the consumption of oil to a minimum.

Third, to provide an oscillating mechanism for the purpose described which lends itself to an increase in the stroke of the comb with a reduction of the speed of the driving shaft, thereby further reducing friction and wear.

Fourth, to provide an oscillating mechanism that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, economical in operation, and which can be installed without making any alterations in the present carding machines other than to replace the known oscillating mechanisms of the latter.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specificatiomreference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the front end of a carding machine in which the improved oscillating mechanism is installed,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1, 7

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, but also illustrating a portion of the adjacent doffer cylinder, and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the improved oscillating mechanism.

Those portions of the known carding machine with which the invention is directly concerned, are briefly described as follows: The base It carries a doffer cylinder II, the shaft of which is journaled in bearings I2 that are aflixed to the base. A doffer comb I3 is secured to the rocker or comb shaft M by means of fingers l 5.

The mid-portion of the shaft is of greater diameter than its end extensions Ma, and said mid-portion is situated eccentrically to said extensions so as to counterbalance the comb l3. One of the extensions Ma is mounted in an adjustable bearing which is securable to the base I I] by bolts I! after any necessary adjustment.

The other extension I la is mounted in an adjustable bearing box l8 (Fig. 3) which is secured to the base ID by a bolt N) (Fig. 4). The adjusting means for this box is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The bearing box 18 also carries a driving shaft 20. Its inner end is supported by an internal boss 2| (Fig. 3), and adjacent to its outer end it is supported by a bearing 22. A double-grooved pulley 23 on the end of the driving shaft 20 is connected with a similar pulley 24 on a countershaft 25 (Fig. 2) by a belt 26.

At this point it is thought desirable to introduce the details of the invention which comprise the following improved oscillating mechanism: The hub 21 (Fig. 3) of a double-armed lever 28 is firmly secured to that extension [4a of the comb shaft which occupies the bearing box [8. The securing means comprises a pair of screws 29, 30 (Fig. 4), one preferably being headed, the other provided with a socket, each bearing on a sleeve 3| on the extension 14a. The sleeve is slotted at 32 to divide it into segments. The screws bear on two of the segments, and when they are driven home they not only cause the adjacent segments to press against the extension Ma, but also in reacting upon the hub 21 cause the latter to draw up on the remaining segments and so firmly clamp the extension all around.

While the screws 29, 30 produce an extremely firm connection between the hub 21 and the extension Ma, yet the hub is readily removed upon undoing the screws, and this is essential to enable the substitution of a lever having longer or shorter arms 28 than those depicted in the drawing. The particular length of the lever between the points 33 and 34 (Fig. 4.) is to be understood as being such as will produce an approximately 2" stroke of the comb I3 between the full and dotted line positions.

This stroke is longer than the comb stroke in known carding machines by approximately three quarters of an inch, and the increased stroke is herein produced by running the driving shaft 28 at a less speed than in known carding machines. This, therefore, illustrates one of the outstanding objects of the invention, namely, the ability to reduce the speed of the driving shaft 20 but at the same time increase the stroke of the comb 13. Further increases in the stroke of the comb I3 may be obtained, still adhering to the same driving shaft speed, by substituting other levers 28 with progressively shorter arms. Or the stroke of the comb can be reduced, without changing the driving shaft speed, by substituting levers 28 having progressively longer arms.

Oscillating motion is transmitted to the doublearmed lever 28 by the single arm 35 (Fig. 4) on the strap 36 of an eccentric 31 on the driving shaft 20. The double arms 28 straddle the single arm 35, and a connection is made between the two by a pin 38. It will be seen (Fig. 4) that the arms 28, 35 are practically at right angles to each other. The slightest reciprocatory motion of the single arm 35 is thus transmitted with full effect to the lever 28. The rotation of the driving shaft 20 is uniform. The off-center position of the eccentric 31 is balanced by a counterweight 39 (Fig. 3) which is in a position similar to that of the eccentric but on the opposite side of the driving shaft.

Thus there is no inherent vibration in the driving shaft itself. The motion of the eccentric 31 is transmitted to the lever 28 very smoothly, and inasmuch as the contact of the single arm 35 with the double-armed lever 28 is confined to a. small area it follows that any heating at this point will almost be imperceptible. The bearing box I8 contains a quantity of lubricating oil (Fig. 4) and the motion of the eccentric strap 36 serves to distribute the oil to the adjacent moving parts.

The operation is readily understood. As the doffer cylinder II revolves (Fig. 2), the cotton lint adhering to the carding pins is doifed or stripped off by the rapid vibration of the comb l3. The resulting product is a Web, so marked in each of Figs. 1 and 2. This web is drawn away by the calender rolls 40 which reduce the web to a strand. The strand is conducted into a coiler head (not shown) where it is condensed into what is known as sliver. The invention has no concern with the product of the carding machine excepting the eflicient manner in which the improved oscillating mechanism, which is the invention, strips the lint from the carding cylinder.

I claim:

In a carding machine, a pair of bearing boxes of which one is hollow, an actuating arm contained by said hollow box, a drive shaft journalled in the hollow box and carrying an eccentric upon which said arm is mounted, a comb shaft having end extensions journalled upon the respective boxes, a double-armed lever having means by which it is removably secured upon one of the extensions in such position as to straddle and contain the free end of the actuating arm, means pivotally connecting the free ends of the actuating and lever arms, and caps upon the bearing boxes, completing the journals for the extensions and having means by which they are removably secured thereby enabling the removal of the caps and of the comb shaft for the replacement of the double-armed lever.

THOMAS BETHEL HUNT. 

